Aug 3, 2006 7:14 pm US/Mountain
Temporary Roads May Go Up In Roadless Areas
By Paul Day
by Paul Day
DENVER (CBS4) ―
New temporary roads could be built in the state's "roadless" areas for community wildfire protection if a recommendation receives final approval.
The Colorado Roadless Areas Review Task Force, a 13 member bi-partisan committee appointed by Governor Bill Owens, convened in Denver on Thursday.
The mission of the committee is to come up with a more sensible plan for managing Colorado's 4.1 million acres of roadless forest land without harming the environment and surroundings.
Some of the roadless areas adjacent to communities have been hit by large scale disease and insect outbreaks. To reduce the risk of wildfire, the task force wants to allow temporary roads to be constructed for the removal of dead or dying timber.
To qualify, the areas must have community wildfire protection plans or be covered under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act.
The Clinton administration had adopted a rule preventing any and all road construction in roadless areas, but the Bush administration reversed the rule and is allowing individual states to propose their own management plans for roadless areas.
Besides wildfire protection, the task force was also drafting roadless guidelines for oil and gas development, grazing, and ski areas.
The entire package of recommendations must be on the governor's desk by September 13.
Owens may make changes.
His deadline is November 13 for submitting the recommendations to the U.S. Forest Service who will have the final say on how Colorado's "roadless" areas will be managed in the future.
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